There has been a dramatic increase in whooping cough (pertussis) infections, particularly among infants and young children in California and the Bay Area. This increase has lead Alameda County Public Health Department (ACPHD) officials to increase awareness and remind residents to get a whooping cough vaccination.

Counties with notably high rates include Marin (94 cases/100,000); Fresno (27 cases/100,000); and Sonoma (19 cases/100,000).

Overall rates by race/ethnicity are highest in whites (5.3/100,000), however age-specific rates indicate that the highest rates are seen in Hispanic infants less than six months of age.

Seven California infants (all younger than three months of age) have died from whooping cough so far in 2010. The state is currently seeing the worst whooping cough outbreak in 50 years, with more than 1,300 cases reported—a fivefold increase from the same period last year. In addition, 700 possible cases of whooping cough are being investigated by local health departments. Public health officials expect whooping cough cases to increase as the school year begins.

Whooping cough is a very contagious illness spread by coughing and sneezing. It can be deadly in young infants. The symptoms of whooping cough are different depending on your age. Infants and children may have a runny nose and a pause in their breathing, but little cough. Some infants may have coughing ‘fits’ that lead to a whooping sound. In adolescents and adults, symptoms may start like a common cold with a cough that lasts for weeks or months. Fever is rare.

Since 1998, more than 80 percent of infants in California who have died from whooping cough were Latino. This was mainly because Latino communities live in extended families, which increases the chances that a baby will come in contact with an adult with the illness.

The CDPH website www.cdph.ca.gov has a list of all community clinics with special vaccination programs in each county.